In 2024, the biggest boxing event of the year won’t come with a hefty pay-per-view price tag — instead, fans will only need a one-month Netflix subscription to watch Jake Paul take on boxing legend Mike Tyson. This deal marks a significant departure from the traditional pay-per-view model, which often charges upwards of $60 for high-profile matches. By partnering with Netflix, Paul and his business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, are hoping to reach a broader audience, making this unique clash between Paul and Tyson more accessible than ever. This fight will also mark Netflix’s first official live sporting event, excluding golf and tennis exhibitions, and will take place just weeks before Netflix streams NFL games on Christmas Day.
Netflix, with nearly 283 million paid subscribers globally, has a vast reach — and if the forecast is correct, this fight could surpass the NFL wild-card game between Kansas City and Miami in streaming numbers, which previously set records in January. Should the event break viewership records, it would also become the most-watched boxing match since the early days of cable television, a medium that both financially boosted and somewhat marginalized the sport.
Boxing, once a mainstream TV sport, has been relegated to a niche audience, especially when compared to its prime in the 1970s. For example, Muhammad Ali’s 1978 victory over Leon Spinks drew an estimated 90 million viewers, a staggering 47% of U.S. households at the time. Today, a commercially successful boxing match draws around 900,000 viewers — a stark contrast.
Bidarian, however, was determined not to risk fans being disappointed with a pay-per-view event for a fight with so many unknowns. Paul, at 27 years old, faces Tyson, a former heavyweight champion 31 years his senior, but 19 years removed from his last official fight. Bidarian wanted the fight to be easily accessible and affordable, ensuring fans wouldn’t feel the sting of regret if the event didn’t live up to expectations.
The event will also feature a compelling co-main event, as two female boxing champions — Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano — face off in a highly anticipated rematch. In addition, Mario Barrios, the WBC welterweight champion, will face Abel Ramos in another action-packed undercard fight. The night promises a mix of competitive bouts to keep audiences engaged, even as they await the main event between Paul and Tyson, which will take place under modified rules.
Paul and Tyson’s match will take place over eight two-minute rounds, with 14-ounce gloves instead of the typical 10-ounce ones used for heavyweight bouts. The unique pairing of the two fighters has generated significant buzz, and Bidarian believes it will reignite interest in boxing, especially for viewers who may have never considered watching the sport before.
The event will also be strategically marketed in regions where Netflix has a strong presence, including India and Brazil, making it a global spectacle. The undercard’s opening fight will feature Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat against Brazilian comedian Whindersson Nunes, ensuring international appeal. The preliminary bouts will be streamed on YouTube, further expanding the event’s reach.
However, there are concerns about the long-term implications for boxing. While Netflix’s streaming of the Paul-Tyson fight is a big win for boxing in the short term, some experts, including Top Rank’s Todd duBoef, question whether Netflix’s interest will extend beyond this single event. He suggests that while Netflix is capitalizing on the star power of Paul and Tyson, they may not be interested in boxing as a regular feature.
Despite the uncertainty, fighters like Barrios are excited about the opportunity. For them, being part of a globally streamed event is a rare career milestone, one that brings boxing to a new audience, transcending its traditional fanbase. The true impact of this historic fight remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the Paul-Tyson spectacle will be a major moment in both the worlds of boxing and streaming.
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